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Guess which coin

Learning to perform simple magic tricks is a great way to build a child's self-esteem. Here is a simple coin trick that will amaze everyone.

What you need:

Five or six coins, all with different dates on them

Activity:

The effect:

You can appear to read someone's mind by guessing which coin they chose from a handful of coins on the table.

The trick:

Put all your coins on the table.

Turn your back. Ask your spectator to choose one coin from the pile. Tell them to take special note of the date on the coin and to keep that date firmly in the front of their mind.

Ask them to put the coin back on the table with the others.

Turn around again to face the coins on the table. Pick up each coin, examine it carefully as though trying to magically determine which one your spectator picked up.

As you pick up each coin, note which one feels the warmest. There will be a noticeable difference between the one that has been recently handled and the ones that haven't been picked up at all. The one that is warm will be the one the spectator chose.

When you figure out which coin it was, take special note of the date. Then put your hand to your forehead, close your eyes as though the date is coming to you magically. Say something like, "I'm seeing the date 2002 (or whatever date the coin is)

Then say, "Is this your coin?" And hold up the right coin.

How it works:

When someone holds a coin in their hand for a small amount of time, the heat of their hand transfers to the coin.